Trade

Trade

an airplane-shaped hand
shook the pepper shaker to sift
black dots
from the top
to the floor
- no - crushed
the pepper shaker
and the black dots of coarse spice
fell out side windows, jumped
of their own accord rather than die in the flames

The black dots drift fall rush off the screen
The TV's brightness confuses ten-year-old eyes as
the pepper shaker pours out life choosing death.

A sneeze - an explosion
- and the ground is peppered with flat black dots.